A frock is a dress, especially one worn by a girl or woman. In the past, the word was used more commonly than it is today. You might read in an old novel about a character wearing “a blue cotton frock” or “her Sunday frock,” meaning her dress for church.

The word has an old-fashioned, gentle sound to it. In stories set in the 1800s or early 1900s, characters often wear frocks rather than modern dresses. Young women might wear simple frocks for everyday activities, while fancy frocks were saved for special occasions like parties or weddings.

Today, you're more likely to encounter frock in historical fiction or period movies than in everyday conversation. When people do use it now, it often refers to a loose, comfortable dress, particularly one that's pretty or old-fashioned in style. Some people still say frock affectionately when talking about a favorite dress, giving it a warm, vintage feeling.

The word also appears in smock frock, a type of loose work shirt farmers once wore over their clothes, though that's quite different from the dress meaning.